3.1.02
People's Republic of Commerce
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Sponsored Symbolism
Symbols embody ideas and messages. For the Soviets, images of a hammer and sickle were emblematic of the unity of workers and peasants. Hitler co-opted the ancient swastika icon to symbolize the Nazi party.

Even people's images have been employed to connote concepts. The iconic mug of Abe Lincoln often graces the canvases of painter Mark Ryden, in a way simply to indicate man as myth, legend or superhuman. And who could forget Che Guevara, whose world renowned portrait has exalted him to hero status? The symbolism of that image, like the swastika, has changed: once signifying anti-capitalist revolution, it has come to be used as a tool of capitalism, selling CDs and legitimizing vodka ads.

When you get down to it, are these symbols really any different from corporate ones? In essence, company logos and brand images (well-designed ones, anyway) are merely icons that express marketing messages in a succinct, powerful way. Advertising can be seen as an extension of this.

In a world in which corporate messages seem ubiquitous, sometimes it seems difficult to conceive of a locale where advertising is banned. And if you can bring yourself to equate the symbols of political parties and representations of influential leaders with corporate logos, you may find it ironic that in certain places marked by the pictures of political propaganda, ads are prohibited.

Take Tiananmen Square. Chairman Mao's fatherly likeness is still perched atop the original gate of the Imperial Palace there. By now, his image has become like that of Christ or Elvis, transcending mere human standing. There's no doubt he would frown on lowly mortal advertisers infringing on his territory. And believe it or not, they are beginning to do just that.

As featured in a 2/20 broadcast of NPR's Marketplace, even though the Chinese government technically does not allow advertising in the forbidden city, its presence has become a subtle reality. A logo for Hong Kong's Gold Lion company can be found on a stone decoration outside the People's Congress auditorium where the supreme leaders of China meet. American Express logos highlight multilingual tourist signs in the square. And, by invitation from the government, a tiny Starbucks location lurks beneath a tile roof. McDonalds and KFC peddle western slop nearby the square, too. Oh, and there's even a state-run "health protection outlet" (a.k.a. sex shop) set up right near Mao's final resting place.

Apparently, according to a man interviewed for the report, these institutions had little funding when completely run by the state, so now that entrepreneurship is sanctioned, Chinese shopkeepers are trying to make the most of it.

"Before we were completely dependant on the government for funds," the man's interpreter claims. "Now, we are trying to earn as much money as we can. We want to get rich."

Hey, nothing's sacred anymore, not even a place as historically and culturally rich as Tiananmen Square. Hell, I recently read that somebody plans to turn Cambodia's Killing Fields into a tourist attraction (somehow I'm reminded of the crassness of that Ground Zero viewing platform). It's all about the almighty buck, plain and simple. If we don't like it, perhaps the best thing to do as individuals is not support the offending attractions nor their sponsors.

Still, rather than lament the corruption of culture for the sake of commercialism, we can think about this from an oft-neglected perspective. Tiananmen Square can be considered a symbol of a deeply-rooted, mystical culture that celebrates serenity, privacy, spirituality and ritual. Or, it can be considered a symbol of the destruction of that culture and its intelligentsia, the imprisonment and torture of countless innocent people under the tyranny of Mao, and later, civil unrest culminating in martial law and a bloody uprising in that very square in 1989.

Could we not think of the presence of private enterprise in Tiananmen Square, in the forms of commerce and advertising, as encompassing a similar dichotomy? Sure, it can represent the crude commercialization and homogenization of culture. But can it not also signify the spirit of individual freedom and self-reliance, in direct defiance of a disapproving Mao and a traditionally closed, stifled society?

No matter how you look at it, you've gotta admit: the Chinese need Starbucks. How else could tourists get a decent cup of coffee over there?

Potent Quotables
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Satan's Helper Drives a Honda
Some people may think advertisers are demonic, but it's not often that they'll actually own up to it.

In a startlingly honest revelation, Honda has admitted to its affiliation with a well known evildoer. Don't worry: if you've purchased a Honda, that doesn't mean you've inadvertently funded some terrorist organization. We're talkin' old-school depravity. In fact, the minion of malevolence who's teamed up with the surprisingly forthcoming automaker has been around for centuries.

As featured in a 2/23 Newstream.com article, Honda makes no bones about its wicked walk with the nightmarish spirit. National advertising manager, Doug Hoffman assures, "Honda expects the partnership with Incubus to be a huge success…."

OK, so there's more to the quote than that: "Honda expects the partnership with Incubus to be a huge success and is delighted to bring them closer to their fans across the country through live performances and customized Civic Si's."

That's right, Honda has paired up with the band Incubus, not the devilish spirit who's believed to rape women while they sleep. Still, Honda's sponsorship of Incubus's upcoming 50-date U.S. arena tour does lead one to wonder just how far advertisers will go to attract those coveted teen and young adult demographics. Here we have a respectable car company joining forces with a band whose name at least a small percentage of mainstream America would find offensive.

Don't get me wrong; although I can't say that I especially dig this particular band (who conveniently have a single out entitled "Drive"), the fact that Honda is sponsoring them is cool on some level. In its effort to woo Gen Y, the company has forsaken the possibility of a backlash from uptight, religious conservatives; I can't help but appreciate that.

Still, who cares if Honda's daring enough to hook up with some band named after an evil spirit? Where were they when alleged devil-worshipping metal band, Judas Priest, was getting blasted for inspiring teens to commit suicide? If you think that's a bit overboard, consider this: if Incubus were some high-minded, politically active, indie-label band, their fans would probably think that the Honda sponsorship is akin to a deal with the devil.

Who Inked Davey Moore?
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GoldenPalace Gets the KO
They've been used in both ritual and punishment, to mark outcast groups or merely for decoration. Should it be surprising that in recent times body tattoos have been used to sell, too?

It almost seems passé at this point. Triple A baseball team fanatics have tainted once-pure skin with images of team mascots in exchange for lifetime season passes. There's been talk of sponsors paying to temporarily ink-up basketball players*. One wonders what took so long to introduce the practice into the sport of boxing.

If the Nevada Athletic Commission had its druthers, the boxing world would wait forever. In a reactionary move spurred by the temporary tat sponsorship of boxers, Leonard Dorin and Bernard (a.k.a. "The Executioner") Hopkins, the NAC has voted to "ban such tattoos from NAC-sponsored bouts," according to a 2/18 Ad Week story.

Enraged skin sponsor, GoldenPalace.com, ain't pleased. Chances are the online casino will go to court over the ban. GoldenPalace.com's Eric Amgar proclaims, "This is free speech, the First Amendment, and we plan to take it all the way."

Evidently, the NAC considers the temporary henna tattoos to be "demeaning to the sport" and "distracting to judges." They even go so far as to opine that pricked pugilists violate state regulations which require fighters to enter the ring in "proper attire and proper costume." You know: proper attire, like shorts covered in logos.

In a related controversy, anonymous Lowbrow Lowdown sources reveal that the Demolition Derby Association has prohibited drivers from decorating their vehicles with naked lady mudflaps because it demeans the sport.

C'mon, this NAC decision is ridiculous. I'm gonna skip the "sponsored tattoos reduce the human being to media placement" rant, because it's obvious. The fact is that if these guys want to be branded for some extra cash it's their own prerogative, no matter how revolting. They're already risking irreversible brain damage, hearing loss and God knows what else just to get paid, so it's not like they have much self-respect to begin with. And let's not even dig into the pit of corruption that is the sport of boxing.

Can you imagine if a traditional fight sponsor such as Budweiser had slapped their logos on boxer's backs? The NAC wouldn't have said a damn thing. I'm not too familiar with the organization, but I find it odd that the NAC doesn't approve of the GoldenPalace.com promo war paint. After all, boxing and gambling go together like Mike Tyson and impropriety. Come to think of it, GoldenPalace.com is lucky their sponsored boxers weren't fighting Tyson; he may have mistaken their logo for dinner.

*Check out previous Lowbrow Lowdown coverage of the Daytona Cubs tattoo promo and the future of sponsored tats on b-ball players.